Grant Opportunities

2012 Research Funding Priorities

The ADDF funds four different categories of research:  Drug Discovery (target validation; high throughput screening; medicinal chemistry, including  hit to lead development and lead optimization; in vitro and in vivo studies of efficacy, ADME, toxicology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; and in vivo proof-of-concept with lead compounds and biologics), Early Detection (development of biomarkers to accelerate drug development and early diagnosis), Clinical Trials (innovative pilot clinical trials) and Prevention (targeted pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to prevention).

With regards to potential drug targets:

• The ADDF is interested in novel targets and therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias and cognitive aging.  These areas include, but are not limited to: Energy utilization/mitochondria function, insulin sensitivity, protein degradation/autophagy, ApoE function and cholesterol metabolism, vesicular trafficking, inflammatory pathways, synaptic function/morphology, calcium regulation, myelin changes, ischemia and oxidative stress, vascular injury, the blood-brain barrier interface, and translatable biomarkers.
• The ADDF has limited interest in funding anti-amyloid approaches, including anti-amyloid aggregation programs, Abeta vaccine development and beta or gamma-secretase inhibition programs.  The ADDF also has limited interest in funding cholinesterase inhibitor programs.

Programs areas of particular interest include:

• Repurposing – Testing drugs approved for other indications in Alzheimer’s disease preclinical models or in human clinical trials.  Proposals should be hypothesis driven and drugs chosen for testing should target a mechanism of action(s) common to both diseases.
• Developing new compounds for Alzheimer’s disease – Requires BOTH a medicinal chemist and a biologist as co-PIs/collaborators.  The program should focus on new scaffolds, synthetic approaches of chemical entities designed for AD-related targets, improving CNS-focused chemical libraries, and optimizing novel lead compounds.
• Preclinical proof-of-concept – Testing of novel lead compounds in animal models.  Study design should be clearly outlined along the lines of an exploratory or therapeutic animal study as described in the ADDF’s recent publication, Accelerating Drug Discovery for Alzheimer’s Disease: Best Practices for Preclinical Animal Studies. Whenever possible, studies should include pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) testing, an a priori hypothesis and primary and secondary outcomes measures, and a statistical design plan including power analysis.
• Pilot clinical trials (please apply through our Program to Accelerate Clinical Trials (PACT) RFP) – Early stage proof of concept clinical studies testing novel therapies in human patients. The program must include biomarkers in the study design that are tied to the mechanism of the drug being tested. *Please note the PACT RFP has a budget exception and funding requests up to $1M are permitted.

The ADDF welcomes potential applicants to direct proposal ideas, questions and comments to:
Diana Shineman, PhD, Assistant Director for Scientific Affairs (DShineman@alzdiscovery.org)

General Application Guidelines

The ADDF adheres to several broad guidelines in accepting and evaluating grant applications.

1. A Letter of Intent is required to determine ADDF’s interest prior to a full application. If the submitted Letter of Intent is not consistent with our mission, a full proposal will not be invited.
2. Letters of Intent to the General RFP are accepted throughout the year.  Review cycles are held quarterly.
3. Grants are typically approved for one year. For certain situations, such as for clinical trials, multiyear grants may be considered. Grantees may apply for renewal/follow-on funding.
4. Support is provided for personnel costs, supplies (i.e., consumables, chemicals, animals), small non-durable equipment up to $2,500, consultants, and patient costs related to clinical trials.
5. Support is not provided for indirect costs/overhead, capital equipment, equipment service contracts, publication costs, or travel.
6. Contact our Grants staff regarding questions about indirect costs/overhead.
7. Funded researchers must submit scientific and financial progress reports on a semi-annual basis.

Applicants who wish to be considered for an Academic or Biotechnology grant must comply with the following procedure:

1. Complete an electronic Letter of Intent.  (Conference proposals do not require an LOI.)
2. After the Letter of Intent is recognized and reviewed by ADDF, the applicant will receive an email with a link to the electronic application forms to submit a full proposal. The applicant must fill out the forms electronically and submit them via the website.
3. Please read all of the instructions carefully (see link below) and contact Niyati Thakker, Grants Assistant, with any questions.

Upon receipt of the application, the ADDF will begin the scientific review process. We will attempt to make a determination of interest within 90 days of the proposal deadline.

Once ADDF receives the application materials, the application is initially reviewed by the ADDF’s scientific staff.  Selected applications are then submitted to the ADDF’s Scientific Review Board to conduct a written review. For applications from biotechnology companies, additional reviewers also are invited from the Business Advisory Board to assess the management and viability of the company from a business perspective.

The ADDF regrets that we are not able to fund all grant proposals, though every effort is made to provide constructive feedback to our applicants.

Application Instructions

Open RFPs

• ADDF accepts grant applications for the “General Request for Proposals” research award programs throughout the year. 2012 deadlines for full proposals are January 19, April 10, July 10, and October 10. LOIs are due two weeks before the proposal deadlines.  See RFP.
• NEW The ADDF and the Robert A. and Renee Belfer Family Foundation have announced the ApoE Therapeutics Innovation Program.  See attached for more information. (LOI Deadline: September 21.  Proposal Deadline: October 5)
• NEW The ADDF and Charles River Discovery and Imaging Services/Cerebricon Ltd. have announced a new RFP for 2011.  See attached for more information. (LOI Deadline: September 21.  Proposal Deadline: October 5.)
• Beginning with applications reviewed by the NIH in calendar year 2011, the ADDF will consider financial assistance for relevant NIH grant applications that were scored but not funded in response to certain NIH funding opportunities. See attached for more information.
• The ADDF has created the Program to Accelerate Clinical Trials (PACT) to increase the number of innovative drugs tested in humans at the crucial phase IIa (proof of concept) stage for Alzheimer’s disease. This program will fund biomarker-based, phase IIa proof-of-concept pilot clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. Click here for more information.

Academic Grants

(Submit your LOI below.)

The ADDF Academic Drug Discovery and Development Program seeks to create and support innovative translational research programs for Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias and cognitive aging in academic medical centers and universities. Biomarker development studies and innovative proof of concept pilot clinical trials of new approaches to treatment, prevention and early detection are also supported.

Download
Application Instructions (PDF file)

Submit
Letter of Intent(online form)

Biotechnology Grants

(Submit your LOI below.)

ADDF helps to create new biotechnology companies, and to fund early stage biotechnology companies, with programs dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery. Funding is provided through program-related investments (PRIs) that require return on investment based upon scientific and/or business milestones. When these milestones are met, funds return to the ADDF to increase our ability to support more research.  Terms of PRIs may vary.  Please read the ADDF’s PRI Policy Statement here.

• ADDF Biotechnology Development Program supports qualified scientific projects in existing, private, early-stage biotechnology companies. ADDF will provide support for qualified projects in more advanced companies if a clear need for non-profit funding to support the project within the company can be demonstrated and justified. All funds must be used for scientific program purposes, and cannot be used as unrestricted funding to the company.
• ADDF Biotechnology Founders Technology Transfer Program supports academic programs that are eligible for technology transfer and the startup of new biotechnology companies with programs dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Up to 35% of funds from these awards may be employed for expenses related to company formation, such as administrative, legal, patent and third-party vendor costs.

Download
Application Instructions (PDF file)

Submit
Letter of Intent(online form)

Conference Grants

The ADDF initiates, sponsors, and co-sponsors conferences to stimulate new ideas and approaches in areas of interest. Conferences bring together outstanding physicians, scientists, and policy makers from the U.S. and the international community.

Submit
Proposal(online form)

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see this PDF for answers to the most common inquiries.